A swath of Nebraska Furniture Mart-owned land near 77th and Dodge Streets could be transformed into new commercial, restaurant and residential uses.

The Mart has asked the City of Omaha to rezone about 26 acres west of the Lowe’s store and along the east bank of the Little Papillion Creek, from Dodge southeast to just west of Rose Blumkin Drive and 72nd Street.

However, only about eight acres of that stretch would see new tenants, said Ryan Blumkin, who handles real estate matters for the Mart. He said the rest would stay essentially as is.

Additionally, a separate five acres owned by the Mart behind the McDonald's restaurant could sprout apartments, Blumkin said. That land is not part of the current rezoning request, and any transformation is likely years away, he said.

Any redevelopment in that vicinity would not involve expansion of the Mart store, he said.

Why now? Up until a few years ago, the project area was occupied in part by a warehouse that has been torn down, Blumkin said. He said the Mart currently uses some of the overall property to park semitrailer trucks on.

He believes the site has potential for higher and better use. 

One possible tenant is a home improvement store that would employ up to 50 people. Plans submitted to the Planning Department show possible construction of an 80,133-square-foot structure with a parking lot and loading dock. (The applicant for the proposed Floor & Decor store asked that its special use permit request be laid over until January.)

Other possible tenants, Blumkin said, include a few fast-food restaurants. 

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